AMBALA: UP Police has booked Ambala-based Haryana Democratic Front (HDF) leader Nirmal Singh, a four-time former MLA and Haryana minister, for allegedly shooting at three cows near his stud farm on the Haryana-UP border.
The case was registered on November 14 at Behat police station on the complaint of Mam Hussain of Mohand village, currently residing at Bartha Korsi village in Saharanpur district of UP, against Singh and others under sections 3 (prohibition of cow slaughter), 5 (prohibition of sale of beef) and 8 (penalty) of the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955.
Hussain told police, “On November 12, I had taken my cows and buffaloes out to graze. Around 5pm, my three cows were drinking water from the Yamuna when Nirmal Singh, of Haryana state, who owns a stud farm nearby was there with his five accomplices. They started shooting at the cows. While one cow was injured, the other two are still missing.”
Behat police station house officer (SHO) inspector Anand Mishra said, “A case has been registered and a notice will be issued to Nirmal Singh to present himself for investigation. The complainant owns some livestock and has apparently given such a complaint at the behest of someone. It seems the incident did not take place in our jurisdiction but we registered a case on the complaint.”
Singh has denied the allegations, saying, “It is just an allegation and the FIR is also investigative in nature. We too have filed many complaints against cattle thieves, who often cross over and steal livestock from our premises. We have several cows apart from horses and many are missing.”
On November 10, Singh inaugurated his party office in Ambala to mark its first anniversary and announced to contest civic body polls in Ambala city, assembly and Lok Sabha polls.